rest. That letter
was taken to be a blackmailing letter--I don't know whether any of you
will believe me, and I don't care whether you do or not, but I declare
that it was not meant to be a letter of that sort, though its wording
might set up that opinion. However, Jacob Herapath resented that letter,
and on its receipt he wrote to me showing that it had greatly displeased
him. Now, I did not want to displease Jacob Herapath, and on receipt of
his letter, I determined to see him personally at once. Being, of
course, thoroughly familiar with his habits, I knew that he generally
left the House of Commons about a quarter past eleven, every night when
the House was sitting. I accordingly walked down to Palace Yard,
intending to accost him. I arrived at the entrance to the Hall soon
after eleven. A few minutes later Mountain, the coachman, drove up with
the coupe brougham. I remained within the shadow of the porch--there
were other people about--several Members, and men who were with them. At
a quarter past eleven Jacob Herapath came down the Hall, accompanied by
Dimambro. I knew Dimambro, though I had not seen him for some time--I
used to see him, very occasionally, during my secretaryship to Mr.
Herapath. When I saw these two in conversation, I drew back, and neither
of them saw me. I did not want to accost Mr. Herapath in the presence of
a second party. I watched him part from Dimambro, and I heard him tell
Mountain to drive to the estate office. When both he and Dimambro had
gone, I walked out into Parliament Square, and after thinking things
over, I hailed a passing taxi-cab, and told the driver to go to
Kensington High Street, and to pull up by the Metropolitan Station."

Burchill here paused--to give Davidge a peculiarly knowing look.

"Now I want you all--and particularly Mr. Davidge--to follow closely
what I'm going to tell you," he continued. "I got out of the cab at the
station in the High Street, dismissed it, walked a little way along the
street, and then crossed over and made for the Herapath Flats--for the
estate office entrance. I think you are all very well acquainted with
that entrance. You know that it lies in a covered carriage way which
leads from the side-street into the big quadrangle round which the flats
are built. As I went up the side-street, on the opposite side, mind, to
the entrance, I saw a man come out of the covered carriage way. That
man I knew!"

Burchill made a dramatic pause, looking im